High Wind — Lower Clark Fork Region, Montana
2025-12-17 · Lower Clark Fork Region, Montana
Event narrative
Extreme gusts battered Sanders and Mineral Counties on December 17, with peak wind reports including 69 mph at 0800MST at the Plains AWOS and 57 mph at the Thompson Falls RAWS. The dangerous conditions prompted an urgent Do Not Travel alert from the Community Ambulance Service of Western Sanders County at 0830MST because live power lines and falling trees completely blocked roadways. Major transportation corridors were heavily impacted: a downed tree blocked a lane of I-90 Westbound at 0725MST, fallen trees blocked the Eastbound I-90 Tarkio exit at 0845MST, a semi-truck crash completely blocked MT-200 at 0940MST, and downed power lines forced the closure of Highway 10 West near Huson at 1120MST.
Utility infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage from falling timber. In Mineral County, over 80 percent of tracked customers (4,002 meters) lost power. Sanders County experienced similar devastation, with 4,481 customers, roughly 47 percent of the county, losing electricity. The power outages were so widespread and prolonged that approximately 250 residents utilized a warming shelter in Mineral County two days after the initial event. High-elevation recreation was also impacted, with Lookout Pass Ski Resort losing power by 0735MST, alongside reports of widespread timber blowdowns across its ski runs.
Structural and property damage was severe and widespread across the zone. At 0930MST, severe winds ripped sections of the roof off Thompson Falls Elementary School. In Haugan, falling timber struck the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery and Visitor Center, causing significant roof damage. In Huson, an uprooted tree lifted a camper and twisted it entirely off its jacks. Meanwhile, at Quinn's Hot Springs south of Paradise, an estimated 75 large trees were toppled by the winds, compounding the massive cleanup efforts required across the region.
Wider weather episode
On Dec. 17, 2025, a historic high wind event driven by a strong cold front undercutting an atmospheric river brought hurricane-force winds to the region, creating a disaster of a magnitude rarely seen in our December climate record across all counties of western Montana. Saturated soils combined with recent record warm temperatures weakened root structures and topsoil, substantially exacerbating treefall. Governor Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a wind disaster, and multiple counties enacted local emergency declarations. The American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter in Superior in Mineral County, and the Butte Civic Center supported residents without power. While impactful December winds have occurred previously'such as the Dec. 4, 1995 Lolo National Forest blowdown that felled over 7 million board feet of timber and a Dec. 15, 2006 event with 65 mph gusts'this storm significantly eclipsed those precedents, delivering frequent gusts between 60 and 90 mph in valleys and over 100 mph in the mountains for multiple hours, particularly between 0800MST and 1200MST Dec. 17. Sandwiched between two other lesser wind events, this system caused widespread damage, blocking roads, hiking, and cross-country ski trails with widespread treefall, and crushing vehicles and structures'including a home near Polson where a resident narrowly escaped with bruises as a tree destroyed their home. Utility infrastructure sustained severe damage; Flathead Electric Cooperative described it as one of the most challenging events in their 88-year history. This extent of damage forced utilities to request outside mutual aid last week to assist with repairs. Power outages persisted for over a week in some locations. The event prompted preemptive school closures based on National Weather Service Missoula messaging and emergency travel alerts. Extended outages led to significant household and grocery store food loss. Northwest Montana, previously impacted by historical flooding, was impeded by wind damage to communications infrastructure which hampered emergency services.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306906. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.